UPPER VALLEY HOCKEY LEAGUE

Nordiques Look to End Strong With Win Over Dead River

ODDS:	Nordiques By 3
OVER/UNDER:	9 Goals

The Nords and Dead River have faced off 4 times this season with 3 lopsided wins for the 'Diques. The last game was an absolute battle as the Dead Riverians jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead and took the Nords into the 3rd period before succumbing to a 4-2 loss that included an empty netter.

Matty "The Eagle" Crowson has looked like a goaltender reborn as he's fought & clawed his team into competitive games. Crowson has been a star at the back end, but the front-end has been the biggest problem for Dead River this season as they have only scored more than 3 goals in a game 4 times this season. Ok, let's be honest, for the first 75% of the season, everything was their biggest problem from the goaltending, to the forwards, to the manager. They've cut some dead weight and have played a much better team game in their past 6 or 7 contests. Even a 9-2 loss to the Gamblers was a nailbiter for the first 2 periods. They are a team on the rise, but it may be just a little bit too late.

The Nordiques have been sub-par all season as well. Their goaltender Johnny "Temper Tantrum" Turner has had his best season in years, but they've battled injuries and inconsistency and let's not mention their last minute issues where they gave up 2 to the Whalers in the last 17 seconds 2 weeks ago and had back-to-back-to-back games that they lost or let up the game winning goal in the last minute earlier this season.

This will be an interesting game seeing as the B-League championship game will be held tonight and depending on the results from last night, a few key players from the Nordiques may be out of the lineup.

Nords should win it...6-3.

Nordiques Survive Dead River, Again, 7-5

With third place on the line and a first round bout against the last placed Dead River squad, the Nordiques played%u2026the last placed Dead River squad. With a win, the Nordiques would clinch 3rd place over idle Cardigan and get to face the last placed Dead River team, again, in the first round of the playoffs. The Nordiques were heavily favored and in fact did pull out a win, but Dead River didn't lay down and let the Nordiques roll to victory.

Dead River came out fast and furious, jumping out to a 2-1 lead after one period of play. Jay "The Zamboni" Zanleoni was the hero tonight as he and fellow Whaler Gary "The Pearl Necklace" LaPerle filled in to round out Dead River's line-up. Zanleoni scored three on the night, the first coming off a turnover behind the Nordique's net with both defensemen out of position. Trevor Bayliss stripped the puck from Ryan "The Governator" McGovern down low and brought the puck to the front of the net where Johnny "Temper Tantrum" Turner stopped the stuff attempt but Zanleoni was there for the rebound. Jordy "McKnight" McGee did his best impression of the New Kids on the Block with some twinkle-toed dance moves and a great individual effort to tie the game less than 40 seconds later. Zanleoni put Dead River up 2-1 on the penalty kill when he forced a turnover inside his own blue-line and fired a 150 foot slapper that skipped in front of Turner, changed directions a bit and squirted under his arm. That goal had the Nordiques putting Turner on suicide watch as they contemplated taking away his equipment so that he couldn't hang or cut himself.

The Nordiques scored 4 unanswered goals in the second period to take the lead and control of this game. McGee hooked up with his BFF4L early in the second period to tie the game up and Kelly "Captain Turnover" Park put the Nordique's up for good with a snapper through a screen with just under 5 minutes gone in the second period. Mayhew picked up his first of the night froM Brian "The Beard" Racicot and Roger "The Dirty Dentist" Phillips showcased his amazing stickhandling skill-set on a beautiful goal that turned 2 Dead Riverians inside out before beating Crowson with a quick move.

Dead River capitalized on an embarrassing Kelly "The Turnover King" Park turnover just inside the Nordique's zone when he whiffed on a pass that landed right on Noel Baxter's stick. Baxter fired a flutter-puck wrister that went of Park's shinpad and, in super slow-motion, went past Turner to make it a 5-3 game.

The two teams traded a pair of goals in the third period behind Phillips' & Mayhew's second of the night for the Nordique's and a great wrister from Craig "The Professor" Sutton and "Zamboni' Zanleoni's third of the night. Matty "The Eagle" Crowson was excellent all game, but especially in the third period. Crowson made 37 saves in the loss but consistently frustrated the Nordiques all night. The Nordique's Turner made 27 saves for the win. It wasn't his best game, but Turner was still very good.

With the outcome of this game in the books, their fate is sealed to meet yet again in the quarter-finals on March 26th. Unfortunately for Dead River, they will not be able to pull in any alternates or subs and can only use their rostered players to try and upset the Nordiques.

 

Team:	Time:	Type:	Player:	Details:
1st PERIOD
LAB	12:51	Penalty	Sutton, Craig(1)	2 minutes for Tripping
NDQ	10:45	Penalty	Marsh, Greg(3)	2 minutes for Body Checking
LAB	10:13	Goal	Zanleoni, Jay(19)	Assist(s): Bayliss, Trevor(4)
NDQ	09:36	Goal	McGee, Jordan(24)	Assist(s): none
LAB	05:27	Penalty	Sutton, Craig(2)	2 minutes for Tripping
LAB	05:08	Goal	(SH)Zanleoni, Jay(20)	Assist(s): none
2nd PERIOD
NDQ	13:40	Goal	McGee, Jordan(25)	Assist(s): Mayhew, Pierce(19) Nightingale, Poli(7)
NDQ	10:20	Goal	Park, Kelly(11)	Assist(s): Racicot, Brian(7)
NDQ	05:23	Goal	Mayhew, Pierce(16)	Assist(s): Racicot, Brian(8) Zagaria, Alexandra(3)
NDQ	02:16	Goal	Phillips, Roger(15)	Assist(s): none
LAB	02:00	Goal	Baxter, Noel(6)	Assist(s): none
3rd PERIOD
NDQ	14:37	Penalty	Racicot, Brian(9)	2 minutes for Tripping
NDQ	10:11	Goal	Phillips, Roger(16)	Assist(s): Marsh, Greg(10) Racicot, Brian(9)
LAB	09:11	Goal	Sutton, Craig(1)	Assist(s): Zanleoni, Jay(23)
NDQ	08:07	Goal	Mayhew, Pierce(17)	Assist(s): McGee, Jordan(13) Park, Kelly(23)
LAB	06:44	Goal	Zanleoni, Jay(21)	Assist(s): Charette, Dan(4) Bayliss, Trevor(5)

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